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Alan Arbogast is a professor and chair in the Department of Geography, Environment, Spatial Sciences at Michigan State University. He is a physical geographer with a specialization in Late-Quaternary landscape evolution, focusing particularly on eolian and fluvial environments. After earning his PhD from the University of Kansas in 1995, he began his career at MSU. His extensive research has predominantly concentrated on the Great Plains and the Great Lakes region, where he is known for his studies on the geomorphic history of coastal sand dunes near Lake Michigan. Arbogast's work has revealed that these dunes are younger than previously assumed and have developed episodically over time, with activation cycles likely associated with fluctuations in lake levels and drought episodes. His research in the dune fields of interior Michigan, particularly the evolution of the upper Muskegon River valley, has been funded by the National Science Foundation. As a member of the Quaternary Landscapes Research Group at MSU, he also teaches a variety of courses related to physical geography and geomorphology. To reach a broader audience, he authored the 4th edition of the textbook 'Discovering Physical Geography,' published by John Wiley & Sons, Inc., which is currently used in 60 colleges and universities across the country.
Department of Psychology